Museveni has one task force - Basoga

By Alfred Wasike and John Kakande PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni has only one task force for the coming presidential elections, Basoga Nsadhu (above), the National Task Force spokesman, has said. Basoga Nsadhu, the Minister of Information, said yesterday, "It should be made clear that President Museveni has only the National Task Force (NTF). All his campaigns are being conducted by the NTF chaired by Alhaj Moses Kigongo and where I head publicity." Basoga was responding to reports yesterday, which said presidential adviser on political affairs Major Kakooza Mutale had told a meeting in Mbarara that Museveni had three task forces. It said the task forces include the NTF, one of opinion leaders and a third called Kalangala Action Plan (KAP) constituted by Movement mobilisers. "There is only one NTF that President Museveni appointed under Section 9 of the Presidential Elections Act 2000. The President also appointed an advisory committee headed by the Vice-President. So that story was not well-intentioned," Basoga added. Speaking to The New Vision yesterday, Kakooza Mutale refuted the reports. He also said he had no quarrel with First Deputy Prime Minister Eriya Kategaya, minister Amanya Mushega or Col. Kahinda Otafiire as the reports implied. The reports quoted Kategaya as having told President Museveni to drop Kakooza Mutale from the task force. Quoting unnamed sources, the reports said in early December, Kakooza Mutale purportedly told a meeting of opinion leaders in Mbarara that Museveni did not trust some people on the task force like Kategaya, Mushega and Otafiire. Saying that although he could not claim to be a great friend of Kategaya, Kakooza Mutale said, "I do not have much quarrel with those people. I do not say I have better competence than Kategaya to campaign in Mbarara." "It is inconceivable for me to go to Mbarara and campaign against Kategaya, Amanya Mushega and Col. Otafiire. It would be a wastage of fuel," said Kakooza Mutale. "We never discuss individuals in the meetings," he observed and added that the allegation was 'far-fetched.' He said all the meetings he has addressed throughout the country are tape-recorded and he keeps the tapes to guard against stories being 'concocted' against him. He challenged whoever made the allegation to adduce evidence that he had talked against Kategaya, Mushega and Otafiire. Mutale said he did not know that Kategaya had complained to Museveni over his meetings. He said he first heard of the allegation from a newspaper yesterday. Ends.